Learners miss days of school due to protests in rural KZN
Villagers of Odadeni and KwaQoloqolo have been protesting since Monday for water, among other demands.
Villagers from Odadeni and KwaQoloqolo in KwaZulu-Natal protesting on Thursday morning, demanding water and other services. Photo: Tsoanelo Sefoloko
Some schools were closed this week due to protests by villagers from Odadeni and KwaQoloqolo in rural KwaZulu-Natal. On Friday morning, community leaders called off of the four-day protest after government officials promised an end to water shortages by next month.
People in KwaQoloqolo want the main road to their village tarred and an end to water outages. They say taps run dry and they have had to rely on municipal trucks water trucks but it is insufficient.
People in Odadeni want water to be trucked in. They also want a bridge built so that they can safely cross a river to get to clinics, schools and other services.
On Thursday, learners were told to stay at home for the fourth day this week as protesters blocked roads around the two villages which are separated by a river.
The provincial department of education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi could not confirm how many learners were affected on Thursday.
The two villages fall under the Umzumbe Local Municipality under the Ugu District Municipality.
Umzumbe spokesperson Sabelo Ncwane said the municipality had met with community members to discuss tarring the road. He believes this sparked the protests.
Provincial transport spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said flooding last year had destroyed roads and other infrastructure in many rural areas. “Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, we are unable to rollout a new road,” said Sibiya.
Ugu municipality spokesperson France Zama blamed the water outages on illegal connections that emptied the reservoir more frequently.
“We have erected communal taps but most of the people decided to connect directly to the main pipe. Another thing that puts pressure on our system is that the number of houses there has been increasing,” said Zama.
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